Aerators are commonly used for maintaining landscaped ground surfaces including turf. The term “turf” refers to grass and other material which is specifically grown for sporting activities and is used, for example, to form golf course greens. Aerators on these types of surfaces have a coring head with tines that repeatedly penetrate the ground surface, forming a plurality of holes so that the ground surface is aerated, to improve growth of the grass or other material and enhance the condition of the surface for playing purposes.
Aerators may have flywheels that drive the upper ends of tine supports in a circular path, and the lower ends in a reciprocating motion of repeated penetrations into the ground. Link arms can pivot to compensate for forward motion of the machine. At each part of the cycle when the tines are withdrawn from the ground surface, the link arms may position the tines in a substantially vertical position for the next cycle of penetration into the ground. Tines are generally cylindrical, are hollow or solid, and produce holes by pulling up plugs or cylindrical cores of soil as the tines move by rotation of the flywheel.
During aeration of golf course greens or other long periods of operation, the operator may not monitor the fuel level gauge located on the fuel tank. If the aerator runs out of fuel, the coring head can become stuck in the down position with the tines in the ground.
Some aerators may include an electro/hydraulic lift pump which may be used to raise the coring head without the engine running. Thus, if the aerator is out of fuel but has sufficient battery power, the operator may actuate the electro/hydraulic pump on the aerator to pull the tines up from the ground without damaging the turf. However, the electro/hydraulic lift pump may increase the cost and complexity of the aerator.
Alternatively, the operator may pull the tines from the ground by removing and disconnecting the tine holders from the arms on the coring head. The operator then may open a bypass valve on the aerator drive train so he can push the aerator off the green surface. This can be a laborious and slow process, and can risk damage to the turf.
An aerator with low fuel level control is needed to reduce the cost and complexity of the machine. An aerator with low fuel level control is needed that is not laborious or slow to operate in a low fuel level condition, and that minimizes the risk of turf damage.